Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Umno Chairman and Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin demanded the Election Commission (EC) explain the sudden increase in the number of registered voters in Sabah.
He said the increase of more than 50 per cent raises doubts when compared to the number of voters in the previous election.
“It is more suspicious that there is a high increase in Muslim Bumiputera voters in Kadazan Dusun Murut (KDM) areas, for example in the Penampang parliamentary constituency.
“The increase in the number of voters indirectly affects the political parties in this election (GE15),” he said.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor had earlier also questioned the shock increase, saying the EC would have to brief the State Cabinet on the matter.
Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee said the electoral register issued by the EC showed an increase of 53.9 per cent in new voters, numbering 574,120.
The number of voters was 1,064,686 people in 2018 but increased to 1,638,806 this time within just four years.
Yong suspected the record jump in the number of new voters was due to the “IC Project” scandal.
Meanwhile, Bung urged the EC to consider allowing university students the eligibility to cast early or postal votes in the GE15.
The Barisan Nasional (BN) Sabah Chairman said the rights of young voters could not be marginalised.
“We are aware that university students are included in the group of 18-year-old voters who are currently studying and some of them have just begun.
“Therefore, this group needs to be given the flexibility to cast early votes or postal votes so that their rights as voters are not neglected,” he said.
Bung said university students are constrained to go out to vote because most of them live far away from their voting areas.
“The implementation of postal votes or early votes for students aged 18 and above needs to take into account various aspects, considering that the number of higher education institution students in Malaysia is over 500,000. It is the EC’s responsibility to ensure that young voters are given the space and comfort to fulfil their responsibilities as voters to determine the future of the country, thus encouraging a high turnout,” he said.
